Past Tense
by RaptorChicky
Summary: It's been 12 years since Naraku's defeat & a lot has changed. Someone comes to Shippo for help, someone he hasn't seen for 15 years. Shippo POV. Based on Ep 68.


Summary: It's been 12 years since Naraku's defeat and a lot has changed.  Someone comes to Shippo for help, someone he hasn't seen for almost 15 years.  Shippo POV.  Inspired by Episode 68.  Spoilers run rampant—like a child with ADD high on Pixie Stix while in a candy store. 

Rating: PG (a little language)        Category: General/Humor                             Reviews: As always, they're most welcome

Disclaimer: I don't Inuyasha.  Quit reminding me!!

A/N: This is just a cute piece of something that came to me after I saw Episode 68 and it got written up rather quickly, so don't expect Pulitzer Prize quality stuff—its just meant to be a good read and a somewhat entertaining waste of time (hopefully).

Past Tense Liza2 

**Chapter 1: The Past Is Past**

                My name is Shippo, and I'm a man.  No, I'm not pulling your leg this time, really.  It's been 12 years since Naraku was defeated and a lot has happened since then.

                Kagome had retrieved the Shikon no Tama and purified it.  Kikyo had returned her bit of soul back to Kagome and returned to the earth she had come from.  Miroku had gawked at his now whole hand, then grabbed Sango in a non-perverted manner, hugging her.  Inuyasha had just stood there, watching Kagome and the complete Shikon in cupped in her hands.  She pressed the Jewel into his hands, telling him he could become a full youkai now.

                She had looked so sad when she told him that.

                Her sadness turned to amazement when Inuyasha gave the Shikon back, telling her he had everything he could wish for right in front of him.  And then he took her into his arms, as if the rest of us weren't staring at them.  Man, you should've seen Kagome's face!

                "I have a wish then," she'd said through her tears of joy, then whispered her wish into Inuyasha's ear.  He blinked, and nodded.

                "If that's what you want…"

                "It is."

                She made her wish: to be with Inuyasha for as long as he lived.

                The Shikon glowed, wrapping its lilac light around Kagome.  All of us stared wide-eyed as the Jewel infused her with its magic.  The glow faded, the Jewel disappearing—evidently, the pure love behind Kagome's wish had completely purified the Jewel, letting it vanish.  We were still staring when Kagome stood back up: her wish had had an unexpected result.  Instead of a ningen with a long lifespan, my surrogate mother had been turned into an inu hanyou; a pair of black dog-ears even peeked through her thick ebony hair.

                Inuyasha looked like he didn't know how to take the sudden turn of events, but then grinned, reaching out and tweaking her ears, telling her it was only fair.

                They were mated a week later.

                After that, during the new moon, they had a traditional ningen ceremony in Kagome's time.  And we got to go and be part of it.

                Kagome's time is really messed up, I tell you.

                The bride was the most beautiful anyone had seen, and the groom almost started to tear up.  Miroku got a smashed foot when he poked at Inuyasha about that.  Sota and I snuck out early and had had a little…fun with the carriage the couple was going to ride off in.  Long strips of paper, lots of something called "saran wrap," wads of paper, and a few cans worth of "Silly String."  By the time everybody flowed outside, that Silly String had gotten into our hair and all over our clothes.

                They had a child a year later, a little Kagome replica that Kagome named "Shiawase."

                Three years later, Miroku and Sango finally mated, but waited to have children.

Four years after the first child they had another, a boy that Inuyasha named in honor of his father: Taisho.

Koga kept visiting—he knew he couldn't have Kagome, but liked getting Inuyasha's ire up by pretending he could.

When I turned 16, Kaede passed on and we buried her next to Kikyo's old grave.  I left not too long after to do some traveling.  I wanted to see the world on my own, something beyond Nippon.

I found some distant relatives to the south and they were amazed by how strong my magic was—I guess fighting somebody like Naraku for three years really hones one's abilities.  Beyond Nippon were many more things to catch my eye.  Peking as beautiful and the food was great.  Constantinople and Baghdad were equally fascinating.  I heard about all the junk going on in Europe, so I turned south, exploring Africa.  Cairo…I could've spent a lifetime in Cairo and not grown bored.  I hopped across the ocean, then headed north.  I swear I almost got eaten alive by the insects in that damn jungle.  Further north still, I encountered a coyote god, and he was just like me: a trickster.  Man, we had some good times for the next couple months.  I reluctantly left, but had been rewarded with amazing sight—a land nestled between the mountains that steamed and spit water and reeked of sulfur.  Beyond that, jagged snow capped mountains filled with glaciers and clear blue lakes that continued all the way north and west.  Nearly froze my tail off in Siberia before I looped back to Peking—I had missed the food.  And then back home.

I'd been gone almost four years and Kagome almost didn't recognize me.

A few surprises were waiting for me when I got back.  Three 3 year olds were tearing around in front of Inuyasha and Kagome's home.  The ningen boy, Kohaku, had Miroku's face with Sango's eyes, and a little bit of both their dispositions.  Unfortunately, he'd been a hard birth and he was to be Sango's only child.  The other two, twins, a boy and a girl, named Sota and Yuka, respectively, were a blend of their parents, so much so that nobody could tell who the twins resembled the most.

The biggest surprise came when I picked up the scent coming out of the home.  It was Sesshoumaru, with a 5-year-old Taisho latched onto his leg, pleading with his oji-chan not to leave.  The taiyoukai was followed by Rin, Shiawase, and Inuyasha.  The two brothers weren't trying to kill each other!!

Sesshoumaru gave his leg a small shake.  "You need to teach your whelp better manners, Inuyasha," he had remarked.

"Shove it," Inuyasha replied, prying Taisho off his uncle's leg.  I had noticed that it was a good natured "shove it" and simply couldn't believe it.  "Oi, Shippo!  Close your damn mouth before something crawls in there and dies!"

The more things changed, the more they stayed the same…

I got the explanation of the two youkai brother's reconciliation during the evening meal before Sesshoumaru and Rin departed.  Ends up, about three and a half year earlier, Rin and Kagome had conspired together and trapped the two inu youkai in a Kagome-made barrier that not even the Tetsusaiga could cut.

"We told them we'd let them out when they finally made nice," Kagome grinned, nudging her mate.  He had pouted.

I started to laugh out loud, but clamped my mouth shut when I saw the look Sesshoumaru was giving me.  "How long did that take?" I had asked between muffled snickers.

"Two months," Inuyasha replied blandly, as if this was the most boring topic ever.

"…"  I stared, not believing what I had heard.  "What the heck did you do for two months??!"

"Beat the crap outta each other a few times."  Inuyasha dug into his bowl, ignoring Kagome glaring at him for his language.

"A few times?!" Rin piped up.  "You two were doing that for a month!"

I had to know what had changed.  Inuyasha's reply had been very simple:  "I died during the new moon."

I stared again and glanced at Sesshoumaru.  I thought I saw a small smirk on his normally blank face.  "Then what?  Guilty conscious?"

Inuyasha shrugged and went back to his food.  It looked like I wasn't going to get a straight answer.

And that was two years ago.

Inuyasha wants more pups, but Kagome says forget it—he can have the next one.

Kagome's mother, my unofficial grandmother, absolutely loves her dog eared grandchildren (and the grandson with a fox tail) and can't resist showing them off whenever we visit (concealing spells active, courtesy of me, of course).  She spoils them, and me as well, absolutely rotten.  It drives Kagome nuts.

The relationship between Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha remains intact, despite their arguments.

Rin is 21, a woman, and I've caught the looks Sesshoumaru has been giving her for the past year or so.  I have a feeling that his role as guardian will be evolving into something more…

I'm 22 now, not quite an adult by youkai standards, but Kagome sees me as an adult and that's what matters.  I'm not some little shrimp anymore and I'm as tall as Inuyasha, if not a bit taller.  My tail isn't as…poofy as it was when I was a kit and now is sleek, nearly reaching my knees.  My russet hair is long, not like Inuyasha's, but is tied back, with the tail of hair going past my shoulder blades.  And according to Kagome, I'm pretty damn good looking.  Quite a few of the village girls seem to agree with her…

I still tease Inuyasha and he still picks on me, but now it ends in friendly tussles.  He's still physically stronger than me, so I use my kitsune magic against him.  Kagome shakes her head in disgust, her ears laid back against her skull, every time we come back to the house, out clothes torn and dirty, our faces scratched up, and our hair a tangled mess.  But we're laughing.

She scowls.  "And you wonder why the children are the way they are…"  She then smiles and goes about her chores, letting us clean ourselves up.

Right now, I'm sitting atop a hill looking down at the village and I can see the kids I consider to be family playing with the village children.  The hanyou children are accepted and warmly welcomed—everybody knows about Inuyasha and Kagome and what they did twelve years ago.  Shiawase, a little over 11 now, is one of the unofficial ringleaders;  she looks like her mother and even acts like her.  I know Inuyasha is going to have some migraines when the boys start noticing her…  Taisho, 7, tries to be like his big sister, but he likes have fun instead of being in charge.

Then, there are the twins.

Those 5-year-old pups are schemers! 

And then you throw in Kohaku…

Oh, Kami, run for the hills!

If any mischief happens, those three are certainly behind it.  It's too bad they aren't kitsune youkai—they'd put every other fox to shame.

Except me, of course.

Sighing, I get tired of watching the kids and get to my feet.  I need to go for a walk and try to find something to distract myself with.

For a few months now, a feeling of longing has been building inside of me.  I know what it's for too:  a mate.  Though technically I'm not a youkai adult, my instincts are demanding I find a mate.  But I'm not sure if I want one.  The vixens I've run into haven't impressed me all that much—to me, they don't seem very strong-willed around males, but when you grow up around somebody like Kagome, everybody is weak-willed.  Some village girls have flirted with me, but I'm not interested in having a ningen mate.

And, no, its not because I don't like humans.  It's just that none of them are interesting enough.

Besides, the ningen girl I would be interested in has a mate of her own now.  I checked.  He's the son of the headman of her village.

So, where does that leave me?

Am I going to be a bachelor for life just because I'm so damn picky?

Maybe I could talk to Kagome into taking me to her time and leaving me there.  If all the girls in her time are anything like Kagome…  Nah.  Best to stay in this time, where its not so messed up.

My feet have taken me to a stream not very far from the village and I plunk down next to it.  I chuck in a few pebbles, watching the ripples that they make.  Digging around in my pockets, I pull out something I've been saving for the past few days—a sucker.  I may be a nearly full-grown youkai, but that doesn't mean I've lost my sweet tooth.

Whenever Kagome brings back stuff from her time, I have to be careful with the things she brings me, especially the sweets.  This time, the sucker was the only thing I managed to salvage out of a bag load of sweets and that was only because I had it on me.  I had carefully hidden the bag, only to come back a short while later to find it missing.

Guess who the culprits were?

Yup, Sota, Yuka, and Kohaku.

It was too late to get the candy back, seeing as the three had already gobbled it all down and were riding the sugar high.  I wore off that sugar high by making them think a mantis youkai was chasing them.  Kagome came by five minutes later, stared at the three kids running around in circles and being pursued by the illusion of the mantis, heard my explanation ("They ate my candy!") as I leaned against a tree, and shook her head.

She told me I was too vindictive, then left, laughing to herself.

I grin at the memory of how tired those 5-year-olds were when I finally called off the illusion.  I doubt those three are going to be swiping all of my candy next time.

I wonder…  Am I going to have kits like that?  I certainly hope not.

So much for taking my mind away from what's bothering me…

Twirling the sucker in my mouth, I sit and stew in my dilemma, staring at the stream as if its sparkling waters hold the answers to life's problems.

Pretty soon, it does.  Sort of.

"Shippo."  Another reflection joins mine.

I whirl around to stare up at her.  How the hell did she sneak up on me?  Was I that distracted?

"Soten?!"

Chapter 2: The Past Is Now 

                Oh, great.  She's come to finish off what she couldn't do 15 years ago.  And its not going to be child's play anymore.  No more stupid little chestnuts.  She's going to take that halberd and stick it right in my—

                "Relax, Shippo," Soten says when I leap to my feet and back away.  "I'm not here to fight you."  She settles down on the grass, laying the halberd next to her.

                I keep a couple leaves handy, just in case.  "You're- you're not here to get even?"

                "No.  I was just some stupid 7-year-old back then.  You were trying to avenge your father anyway."  She looks up at me and pats the grass.  "Sit.  I'm not going to bite.  Unless you want me to…"

                I do sit, but it's out of her reach, and in a way that I can bolt to my feet in an instant.  We say nothing, just sitting there, me watching her, Soten looking off into the distance.  She sighs and starts to pick at the scarlet sashes that holds her armor in place. The spiked epaulets clank to the ground and are followed by her armbands and her chest plate.

                Soten's definitely not 7 anymore and there's no way you could now mistake her for a boy.

                Man, that chest plate hides a lot…

                Where the hell did that one come from?!?

                Fifteen years ago, I thought she was a boy, but not now—Soten's all grown up and is all sleek curves.  Her well-fitted hakama are a deep violet, the same color the sky gets right after dusk; her sleeveless top is a light blue that mimics the color of a cloudless spring sky.  A beaded scarlet sash is cinched around her tiny waist.  On one forearm is a finely crafted silver gauntlet, while on the other, are numerous silver bangles that echo the same kind of meticulous attention to detail.  Soten's face retains a few masculine features, but it's still…pretty in its own way.  A pair of beaded earrings dangle from her lobes, teasing the tops of her shoulders.  Her thick raven hair is decorated with beads and the feathers of numerous birds, and is still pulled back into low pigtails, but this time, the pigtails are braided and the long plaits pool behind her on the grass; both braids are secured with beads and tipped with feathers.

                And her scent…  It reminds me of the air after a storm has rolled through.

                She turns and blinks her large, dark eyes at me, and then smirks.  "Are you going to stare all day, or should I get somebody to paint a picture for you?" she laughs.

                I look away and I think I'm blushing.  Crap.

                Her laugh has put me at ease though—if she wanted me dead, she'd be doing something about it by now.  Tucking the leaves away, I pull the sucker out of my mouth—Kagome says its not polite to talk with your mouth full, "So…uh…if you're not here to kick my butt…why are you here?"

                Soten shrugs.  "I was traveling through the area and I remembered that you lived out here.  I thought I'd drop by to see you."

                "After 15 years?" I cock a brow.

                She shrugs again.

                I take in the slight shift in her scent.  "You're lying.  Why are you really here?"

                "Am not," she pouts.

                "Are to—I can smell it."

                "Well, your nose is lying then."

                "You sure than you're not 7 anymore?" I grin.

                Soten sticks her tongue out at me and then sits in silence.  I patiently wait for her to tell me what's going on and she starts to play with the beaded tassels on her sash.

                Then, "My relatives are forcing me to get married."

                "And you don't want to."

                "Not to Raimeiten!  He's five times my age, mean and crude, with the intelligence of a rock and he makes a centipede youkai look pretty."

                I cringe.  "Ugh.  That bad?"

                "Worse.  And despite my objections, my relatives set up the ceremony; they want the status that would come from me mating Raimeiten, not caring if I want the man or not.  So, I bailed.  I didn't know where to go, until I remembered you…"  Soten glances up at me, almost shyly, "Is it okay if I stay here for a while?" she asks in that husky voice of hers.

                "I'm not the one to ask."  I tilt my head back and sniff the air.  Dinner time.  Getting up, "But, I will take you to the ones you should be asking."

                Soten's face brightens and she scrambles to her feet.  She gathers up her armor, her pack, and her halberd and trots after me.

                "Kagome-chan," I call out as I enter the house, "I hope you made extra.  We have an unexpected guest."

                Kagome glances up, a little surprised by who was behind me.  She looks confused for a second, then recognition fills her face.  "…Soten?  I was wondering who's scent that was…"  Gracefully standing, she comes up to us and looks Soten from head to toe; Soten seems uncomfortable with the examination.

                "Kagome-sama."  Soten bows respectfully.

                "Oh, none of that "sama" stuff!  Just plain "Kagome" will do."  She takes the surprised thunder youkai by the hand and leads her to the table.

                Four pairs of curious eyes, along with one suspicious pair, watch Soten approach.  This whole time, Inuyasha remained quiet—he's actually learned tact within the past decade; he eyes the halberd leaning against the wall next to the door, the halberd that pierced him 15 years ago.

                "What the hell is she doing here?" he growls, too quiet for Soten to hear, but loud enough for the rest of us to hear.

                "Don't worry.  She's not here to get even or anything," I reply.

                "Be nice," Kagome hisses in Inuyasha's direction as she seats Soten at the table.  She sets up another place for me and I settle down to eat.

                Its quiet until the meal is served.  Yuka is the first to speak.

                "Ka-chan?" she asks through a mouthful, grains of rice flying out of her mouth.  "I like her earrings.  Can I get my ears pierced?"  She wiggles her little black ears for emphasis.

                "Absolutely not," mutters Inuyasha.

                Kagome swallows.  "We'll see.  And what have I said about talking and eating?"

                "Gomen."  A few more rice grains take flight.

                After taking a few sip of tea, Kagome places her cup down and fixes Soten with her gray eyes.  "It's been 15 years Soten-chan.  I doubt that this is a social call for Shippo-chan's benefit."

                I gulp down my mouthful of sushi and watch Soten hesitate.  I guess she's a little embarrassed about her predicament.  She finally explains why she's here, but not in the blunt fashion I got.  By the time she finishes and asks to stay, dessert if ready.  Yuka, Sota, Taisho, and Inuyasha mow right through theirs, but the rest of us take our time.

                "You want us to protect you, is that it?" Inuyasha demands harshly after he licks his lips clean.  "After all that trouble we went through because of you?"

                Soten bows her head.

                "Inuyasha!  Of course we'll help you Soten-chan."

                "Keh!"

                I finally throw my thoughts in.  "It really wasn't that much trouble…  Actually, it was kind of funny.  Remember how hard it was to get Kirara away from that huge pile of cat nip?"

                Kagome remembers and grins.  "And that little dragon…  Where is he anyway, Soten-chan?"

                Shrugging, "Traveling.  Haven't seen Koryu for a few months."

"Shippo-jichan did a bunch of traveling!" Taisho pipes up.  "Oi, Shippo-jichan!  Tell Soten-chan about that one time in Peking when you…"

                I groan quietly—Taisho can't seem to get enough of my stories about my world trek, no matter how many times he's heard them.  But, like I always do, I oblige the little squirt, and Soten as well—she's curious and failed to hide her grin when she heard me groan.

                I spend the rest of the evening telling her about my travels.

                It's well past midnight, and yet I can't sleep.  Something's bugging me, but I don't know what.  Maybe a quick walk will clear my head.

                I don't bother to grab my nightshirt as I crawl off my futon.  Padding silently down the hall, I peek into the bedroom to check on everyone.  In the kids' room, Sota and Yuka look like they're dead the way they're sprawled out; a small puddle of drool has formed by Sota's open mouth.  Taisho's lightly snoring on his futon next to the twins'.  Shiawase is sleeping peacefully, looking like the little angel that she is, her dark hair fanned out around her head.  The door to Kagome and Inuyasha's room isn't completely shut and through the small crack I can see the two mates snuggled against each other, Inuyasha's muscular arm draped over the dip of Kagome's waist.  Between them, their hair intermingles, silver contrasting sharply with ebony.

                I slide the door shut and continue down the hall and outside.  I'm remembering what it was like when I first met Kagome and Inuyasha.  Even though they were constantly bickering and seemed so mismatched, I assumed they were a couple—my parents had sometimes acted like that before they died.  I got bopped on the head for that assumption…  But when Inuyasha saw Kagome and I wrapped in my father's foxfire, when he shouted for us not to leave, when he grabbed Kagome's hand, well, at that very moment, I just knew.  I may have been only 7, but I knew what Inuyasha felt for Kagome.

                Took the stupid hanyou three years and nearly breaking Kagome's heart countless times before he finally told her he loved her.

                Baka.

                At least I don't have that problem.  I have to first find a girl that I'm interested in to be able to break her heart.

                I find myself back at the stream, the cool night air gently colliding with my bare chest and teasing through my hair.  Soten's scent still lingers on the grass, and for some reason it calms my instincts.

                Am I…?

                No.

                I can't be.

                The first and last time I saw her, we were just kids, and now, she's hardly been here a day!  I hardly know anything about her!

                I simply can't be…

                My mind may be saying one thing, but my instincts are saying another.  Who do I believe?

                Stupid mind, stupid instincts.

                This walk hasn't cleared my mind, but all this thinking has made me tired.  I head back home, my tail twitching irritably behind me.

                Kagome is waiting for me when I get back.  "Want to talk about it?"

                "Talk about what?" I respond as we head down to my room.

                Her delicate clawed hand holds me back.  "Don't play dumb with me, Shippo-chan.  I noticed what's going on.  Even Inuyasha has noticed and we all know what kind of expert he is when it comes to feelings…"

                A faint "keh!" is heard from their room.  "Just talk to the fox and get back in here," he mutters.

                Rolling her eyes, my surrogate mother smiles, and then pulls me into my room, sliding the door shut behind us.  "Now," she starts quietly—the guest room with Soten in it is right next to mine, "its been a while since I've gotten to do this motherly guidance stuff with you, Shippo-chan.  Please tell me what's bothering you."

                I hesitate, chewing on the inside of my cheek.

                "Its Soten, isn't it?"

                "That obvious, huh?"

                She pats my knee, "Only slightly."

                "I don't know what's going on…" I sigh.  "I've been thinking about getting a mate these past few months."  Kagome smiles, but she lets me continue.  "But, I haven't found anyone I would want to mate with—no one's caught my interest."

                "Then Soten shows up…"

                "Yeah.  And the part of me that's been going nuts for a mate has calmed down.  She hasn't even been here a day and I'm starting to wonder if I'm- I'm…you know."  I shake my head, and start again, but more to myself than to Kagome, "I can't be.  It's just my instincts, reacting to a single, healthy," _Beautiful, "female youkai…"_

                "Has this ever happened with other women you've been around?"

                "No.  But—"

                I'm silenced by a look from Kagome.  "Are you sure it's not just your instincts, Shippo?  Maybe you're also being affected by what Soten's feeling as well."

                "Huh?"  I must have a pretty dumb look on my face.

                "Shippo, 15 years since she last saw you.  I hardly remember some of the people I met when I was 7, but after 15 years, Soten comes to you, not to visit just because she's passing through, but because she wants your help.  And for all I know, she could've gone to one of her own kind for help, but she didn't.  I think that says something."  Getting to her bare feet, Kagome smoothes out the dark green silken nightgown that she bought in her time, brushing away unseen wrinkles.  "Go with what feels right, Shippo-chan."  She leans over and plants a gentle kiss on my head then slips out of the room, leaving me to ponder her words.

Chapter 3: Looking Beyond the Past 

                A week has passed since Soten arrived, and she's still here.  But, it's not like she's a great burden or anything.  In fact, she's been a great help: she assists with the daily chores, though Kagome insists she doesn't have to, she's an additional eye for watching the pups (especially those 5 year olds…), and she even went with Kagome to help rid a near-by village of a youkai when the others were unavailable.

                And there's another bonus…

                The kids adore her, and she seems pretty good with them.  Even some of the villagers are starting to comment on her abilities to handle children, ningen or youkai.

                "I had to baby-sit a lot," she told me earlier.

                Shiawase has found a new best friend in Soten and has even managed to convince Soten to teach her how to use her halberd.  Inuyasha grumbles about it, but he can't hide that gleam of fatherly pride when he watches his little girl smoothly perform a few standard moves with that halberd, despite it being almost twice her size.

                I think Taisho even has a little crush on Soten.  You should see him try to keep her attention on him—he'll give her flowers that she puts in her hair, and the interesting little pebbles he finds are placed along her windowsill (she's got quite a collection by now).  Taisho tried giving her neat looking bugs, but after she shrieked at the hairy spider he found, he quit with the creepy-crawlies and upgraded to something else; he caught a sparrow for Soten and she released it when he wasn't looking.  I think that pup died and went to heaven Soten pecked him on the cheek and gave him the hawk's feather that dangled behind her ear.

                The other pups received small gifts from her as well; Sota got a tail feather from a pheasant cockerel, while Kohaku received its twin.  Both Yuka and Shiawase received a silver bangle—Yuka rarely takes hers off, while Shiawase claims to be saving hers for special occasions.

                And what have I gotten out of this?  I've gotten a youkai my own age to talk to.  Don't get me wrong—I do enjoy chatting with Kagome and the others, and I do have some ningen friends my age, but its nice to have someone who can relate to me being a youkai and is my age as well.  As it turns out, Soten is as much of a smart-ass as I am.

                Though I was unsure at first, I am glad that Soten sought me out for help.  And I'm beginning to believe that its more than just a pride issue—that longing that's been nagging at me for months has faded and is replaced by a calm I never felt before.  Its not just a physical calm either.  My mind is becoming more and more relaxed each time I'm around Soten.  In the beginning, when I would sense her coming near, my instincts would go on edge, but now she can sneak up on me if she wanted to and it won't bother me.  She can be gentle, but she's also a good warrior; one moment she can very mature, then the next she's that 7 year old again.  And she's interesting—we've had plenty of conversations and I know she has more ideas skipping around her mind.

                Maybe I am falling in…you know.

                "Shippo?"

                Blinking, I take my eyes away from the puffy clouds above me and shift them to see Soten standing over me, puffy clouds forming a backdrop for her.  She caught me musing.

                "Yeah?  Is everything okay?"  I start to sit up.

                Soten plops next to me.  "Everything's fine.  You seemed like you were in another world.  Anything important?"  She adjusts the daisy chain crowning her head.

                "Nah," I lie.  "Not really, just random thoughts."

                "Mmmm."  She looks out over the meadow the kids are playing in.  Shiawase's making daisy chains, Taisho is chasing after grasshoppers, and Yuka and Sota are making noise, so I know they're not plotting anything.

                I'm about to say something when the wind shifts and a new scent comes to my nose.

                "Shit!" I mutter, jumping to my feet.  Taisho stumbles when he pounces—he heard that word.  "Oi!  Yuka!  Sota!  Taisho!  Shiawase!  Get to the house!  Now!"  They don't question me—I rarely yell at them, but when I do, they know I mean business—and go scrambling through the forest to their home.

                Soten does question me—she doesn't smell it like I do, the smell of a storm rolling in, the smell of a pissed off thunder youkai.  "Shippo?  What is it?  What's wrong—"  She stops and looks up over the tree line as she now senses the youki coming off this youkai.  "Dammit!  Its Raimeiten!  How'd he find me?"  Tugging on my arm, "Come on, Shippo!  You have to get out of her or he'll kill you!"

                "No."  I jerk my arm away and place myself slightly between Soten and the incoming Raimeiten.  "If he chased you all the way down here, its pretty clear that he needs somebody else, besides you, to tell him to piss off."

                "You're going to tell him??  And quit acting as if I'm helpless!"  She steps forward to stand at my side.

                "I'm not 7 anymore—I have stuff that's a bit more effective than crying mushrooms," I grin.

                "I certainly hope so…" grumbles Soten as we stand and wait.

                We don't wait long.

                A small thundercloud descends to the middle of the meadow and it begins to swirl and dissipate, leaving me looking at the ugliest youkai I have ever lain eyes on.  Raimeiten makes Manten look pretty, makes me wish I were blind.  Fat, bald, scarred…yeah, if being ugly is a sin, Raimeiten is going straight to hell, no ifs, ands, or buts.  And from the look in his eyes, I'm not sure that anybody is home.  Hell, I doubt there's even a home for anyone to live in…

                "Soten.  So this is where you've been hiding, with this kitsune."

                "Go home Raimeiten!!  How many times do I have to tell you?  I would sooner mate with a slug than with you!"  Sparks of lightening start to crackle at her fingertips.  She's probably wishing she had her halberd with her.

                "Kitsune…" Raimeiten rubs his pockmarked chin—I don't think he's paying attention.  I swear I hear a blood vessel pop when a realization finally comes to him, "Ah!  He's the one you've been pining over all these years!  It figures you would pick one so weak."

                WHAT?!?!?!  Did I just hear him right??!

                Soten blushes under my open-mouthed stare.  "Screw you Raimeiten!" she yells.

                He chuckles.  "In front of the fox?  Oh, you are a naughty girl, aren't you?"  Raimeiten starts toward us.

                Soten responds by bringing up her hands, now snapping and cracking with lightening, "I warned you…" and launches a powerful blast right toward the lumbering Raimeiten.

                He moves pretty quickly for a guy his size and whips out his mace and knocks the blast away.  To my surprise, he pivots and swats the foxfire I tossed out moments after Soten's attack.  "Stupid kids.  Now this," he raises his mace, "is an attack!"  He slams it down, sending shocks of lightening tearing through the ground.

                Yanking Soten away from the incoming destruction, I scoop her petite frame into my arms and leap up into a near-by tree.  "We can't win facing him head-on.  I have a better idea, one that's a lot more fun," I smirk.  Soten starts to protest, but I ignore her and dart off into the forest, giving Raimeiten an obscene gesture in the process.

                Yup, that pissed him off some more and now he's crashing through the trees, literally storming after me.  Subtle guy.  But, it's the way I want it.  Thankfully, I know these woods just as well as Inuyasha does, if not better, so I leave him eating my dust.  When I put enough distance between me and Raimeiten, I set Soten down.

                "This is your big plan?!  Running away?!"

                Grinning, "Part of it.  Stay here and watch the show.  I'll be right back…"  I pull a leaf out of my pocket and place it on her head.  I now have an irritated looking rabbit looking up at me.

                I'm lazily leaning against a tree by the time Raimeiten shows up, huffing for breath.  "Took you long enough…"

                "Where is she?!  Where is my mate?!" he demands.

                "I don't know.  Maybe you sat on her.  I mean, jeez!"  I do a quick impression of him, emphasizing the size of his rear.  Turning back, "And don't remember Soten saying she was mated to you.  I don't why she would want to anyway.  I've seen stuff in baby's diapers that's more attractive than you."  I smirk, baring a fang, and turn into my fox form, disappearing into the brush.

                Oh, Raimeiten is really pissed now.  He's completely forgotten about Soten and is focused on me, or what he thinks is me…  I watch go fuming after the illusion of myself, tossing lightening bolts at "me."  I snicker and go back to Soten in the bushes.  Her hind foot is tapping impatiently when I find her.

                "How long will he follow that?" she asks the moment the illusion is removed.

                "I could have him chasing that all the way to Hokkaido if I wanted to, but that isn't what I have in mind.  Come on, going to need a little help with this next part."

                The next part involves a steep, rocky hillside.  Soten is waiting to pry the uppermost boulder free, while I'm waiting for Raimeiten to make an appearance.

                "What's taking him so long?" Soten grumbles.

                "Keep in mind that this is probably the first exercise he's had in years."

                "Decades."

                I chuckle, then spot Raimeiten in the distance.  "There he is.  'Bout time."  He's still pursuing the illusion of a little red fox, but is no longer hurling lightening—poor baby must be tired.  "Watch this one."  The little fox gets to the hillside, but rather than run up the hill, the illusion runs into the hill and vanishes.  Raimeiten, so intent on catching that fox, doesn't notice the hill in front of him and slams right into it head first and staggers back.

                Soten coos down to him, "Oh, Raimeiten!"

                He looks up in time to see Soten and I give that large boulder a good shove, freeing it—it tumbles down the steep slope, taking everything with it to bury Raimeiten.  He yells and tries to get out of the way, but he's winded and dazed, so he gets over-taken.

                By the time we get to the bottom of the hill, Raimeiten is almost completely buried, with his mace sticking out.  Soten jerks it free of the rubble and starts to walk away when the mace's owner bursts out of the rocks and grabs her, pinning her arms.

                "Soten…"

                She shifts in his grip, facing him, "Do you have a hearing problem?  NO!"

                I cringe when she slams her knee up, forcing a breath to rush out of Raimeiten as he hunches over.  A quick blow to the back of his head with his own mace knocks him out and flat on the ground.

                "Sometimes," she props the mace on her shoulder, "the old methods are the best methods."

                "I guess…"

                Soten shoves the mace into my hands, "Hold onto this for a second."  She turns back to the unconscious Raimeiten, an evil smirk curling her lips.

                "Now we can go," she says a few minutes later.

                And we do, leaving the thunder youkai as naked as the day he was born and his armor and clothes turning to ash in blaze of blue flames.

                We stroll through the forest, heading back to the house, both of us quiet.

                Finally, the question stewing in my brain gets to be too much and I ask it, not caring if Soten wants me to or not.  "What he said…about you and me…is it true?"

                Flushing, "Look, can we not talk about this?"

                "No."  I can see that its going to take a little persuasion for her to talk, so I start to persuade her, in my own fashion—I start boinking acorns off her head.  "I'll keep pestering you if you don't tell me…"  I keep the acorns up for a while and I can feel her irritation rising.

                She whirls, swiping the last acorn form my hand.  "All right already!!"  Plopping down under a tree, "Kami, you're annoying.  I wonder how you managed to live this long…" she mutters.

                "Must be my charm."  I settle in front of her, giving her my trademark "I'm too cute to hate/maim/kill" look.

                Cocking a brow, "You wish," a small grin twitches at the corner of her mouth.  Silent again, she delves into the small pouch at her waist.  She pulls out something I haven't seen for 15 years.

                I take the rust-colored stick and delicately hold it between my claws.  "Is…Is this—?"

                She nods.  "Uh-huh.  A crayon, part of the set you gave me.  I simply couldn't make myself use them all up."  Soten blushes a bit brighter, "Let's just say a certain kitsune made quite an impression on me."

I say nothing as I hand the crayon back to Soten—even if I wanted to, I couldn't.  My voice has left me.  She- she- no way!  Don't tell that she-  Sweet Kami.

I beat off the impulse to jump into the air, whooping for all I'm worth.

Kagome's words float through my mind: go with what feels right.

I meet her eyes, with what must be a silly grin on my face, and ask, "So, uh, ever been to Peking?"

(o)ji-san (-chan)—uncle

ka-chan—mommy

Ramblings:  I just realized this—I have a plot bunny hopping around the 1st chapter and I have a feeling I'm going to follow up on it…  See if you can find it!  (Though you will get absolutely squat if you do…)


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